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Why Climate Differs Across the US is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why climate differs across US regions, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.10.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 22 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why Climate Differs Across the US

D2.Geo.10.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why are summers in the Southeast so humid?
  • A.Dry desert air blows in from Canada
  • B.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  • C.There are no rivers or oceans nearby
2.Why does the Gulf Coast get hurricanes?
  • A.Cold mountain air causes them
  • B.Hurricanes form only over deserts
  • C.These storms form over warm ocean water
3.Why did the western Great Plains have grass but few trees before settlers came?
  • A.Trees there grew too tall to count
  • B.There was not enough rain for most trees to grow
  • C.Too much rain drowned the trees
4.Why is the Pacific Northwest so rainy?
  • A.It is the closest region to the equator
  • B.Moist air from the Pacific rises over the mountains and drops rain
  • C.It has no mountains to stop the clouds
5.Why is the Great Basin so dry?
  • A.It sits right beside the Atlantic Ocean
  • B.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  • C.It rains there every day
6.Why do the Great Plains get so many tornadoes?
  • A.The Plains are covered by thick forest
  • B.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  • C.Tornadoes form only near the ocean
7.Why does Hawaii stay warm all year?
  • A.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  • B.It is covered in ice
  • C.It is near the North Pole
8.Why is northern Alaska cold for most of the year?
  • A.It is surrounded by warm water
  • B.It is close to the equator
  • C.It is far north, near the Arctic

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.10.3-5 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why Climate Differs Across the US

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  2. 2.These storms form over warm ocean water
  3. 3.There was not enough rain for most trees to grow
  4. 4.Moist air from the Pacific rises over the mountains and drops rain
  5. 5.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  6. 6.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  7. 7.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  8. 8.It is far north, near the Arctic

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.10.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.